Little one
by Cao dreams in books
Summary: How Raf is able to understand binary - Bumblebee's language - is a mystery. Because the little one does not remember who taught him this language - he was too young back then. It takes a battle, wounds and a familiar Vehicon for the truth to be revealed. Those who have no spark can nonetheless be kind and good.
1. Chapter 1

**Based on a headcanon of primus-why on Tumblr, thanks to them for allowing me to "make them cry more" ^^**

 **::{}:: is for binary language**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

What in the name of Primus is he doing _here_?!

That was the first thought that crossed the Vehicon's mind when they spotted a familiar spiky-haired head trying to hide behind the boulders.

For a nanosecond they forgot everything around them. They forgot about the battle, they forgot about the Autobots who had attacked the mine some seconds ago, they forgot about the blasters shooting death from everywhere, Pit, they even forgot about Megatron because the _sparkling_ was there, in the middle of a violent storm he wasn't supposed to witness.

They couldn't be mistaken. It was him, the little one to whom they had taught binary during they first mission of infiltration on Earth. Yes they had been _stupid_ enough to think that a baby human was the same thing as a sparkling and thus their basic programming had awaken when the little one had started to express worry after being left alone – what kind of creators would be dumb enough to forget about them ? The Vehicon had begun to speak in binary to soothe the sparkling and it worked because _Primus_ , his little giggles were the most adorable thing they had ever heard in a long time.

Then it had become a habit. Every time they were alone with the sparkling they would talk to them in binary, and the little one would stare at them with wide shining optics that seemed to _understand –_ and even though they had learned he was a mere human, an organic life without intelligence, they could not help but think that this little one was different, better than the others. So whenever he came they would beep and click and whirr, and seeing the little one with his beautiful smile was enough to warm their spark – oh wait they didn't have one, but whatever.

One day the little one had answered – yes he had tried to speak in binary! The Vehicon had been so delighted they had almost honked their horn. Thanks Primus they didn't or else they would have blown up their cover.

Sometimes the little one would climb onto one of their seat and curl into a ball and water started to leak from his eyes... The sounds coming from his mouth were so full of pain and sadness.

::{What is wrong, little one?}:: they would beep in concern. ::{Hush now, there is no need to worry. I am here.}::

And slowly the sparkling would calm down, until no more water came out from his eyes. Sometimes he even fell asleep on their seat, and the warmth his small body displayed felt... very nice.

Then the Vehicon was assigned to another duty. They had never seen the sparkling again.

Until today.

He had grown up. The little one had changed a bit, but he still had the same eyes – now filled with fear, trying to hide from the battle.

Why now? Why here? Of all the places, why here, where his fragile body could be easily destroyed?

The Vehicon could not betray their faction. They lived to serve Megatron, to obey. That was why they had been built and brought to the battlefield.

They were a war machine, only meant to kill and destroy, and they accepted it. But the little one – the little one deserved none of this. He was innocent and had a right to keep this innocence.

They were a mere drone. Disposable. There were plenty like them.

The little one was one.

And so they made their decision.

They ran from the battlefront, dodged a few shots – and one could have thought they were just trying to find a better place to shoot – until they were in front of the human.

They could see he was scared.

::{I am not here to harm you, little one,}:: they beeped, which seemed to surprise the boy. Before he could say anything they gently scooped him into their servos, trying not to harm him with their claws, then started to run again.

"What are you doing!" he screamed.

::{Safety. A safe place for Rafael.}::

The human gaped at them.

"How... how do you know my name?!"

Ah... Right. After all, the Vehicons were all the same. But they could not answer, because a well-placed shot tore their leg apart.

They howled in pain as they collapsed, but nonetheless tried to hold the little one tight against their chest, sparring him from the ruthless fall. Despite their nasty injury, they crawled until they were hidden behind a wall of rocks. Then they curled around Rafael, shielding him with their body.

"Why... are you doing this?" he dared to ask after a moment, even if he still looked afraid.

::{You deserve... to live, little one,}:: they weakly beeped. An endless flow of Energon was gushing from their damaged leg, and several warnings popped up in their processor. They ignored them and continued to talk :

::{You... probably don't remember me... I was the... the car your family 'owned' when you were younger... and was 'stolen' when you were three years old.}::

Rafael stared at them with flabbergasted eyes.

"That... That was _YOU_?!"

If they had a mouth, they would have smiled at his expression, but they could only nod.

::{Little one... used to sleep on my seat. Tried to speak in binary with me...}::

Their visor flickered. Rafael noticed it, then noticed the growing pool of Energon under the Vehicon's waist.

"You're hurt!"

The Vehicon gave a weak half-shrug.

::{Vehicons are hurt... and die every day. It doesn't matter... We have no sparks... no designations... It doesn't matter...}::

"Of course it does!" Rafael exclaimed. "Every living being has a right to live! Don't move, I'm going to look for help!"

But he could not even make a step, for the Vehicon pinned him down with one servo. He protested and struggled, but he was not able to even move the huge limb.

::{Do not, little one,}:: the Vehicon said with a calm, comforting voice. ::{Do not endanger... yourself for someone like me. Stay here till... the battle is over... then go back to your friends...}::

"But..."

::{No buts.}::

Rafael pouted, but didn't add anything. They stayed silent and still for a little while, the fury of the battle echoing not so far away, the Vehicon becoming weaker and weaker as time went by.

Then Raf hesitantly asked:

"So, you... you don't have a name?"

The Vehicon shook their head.

"Then... Can I call you 'Agathos'?"

::{...If you want to... But... Why?}:: they asked, curious – and a little bit flattered – that he wanted to give them a name.

"If... If what you said is true... Then it is thanks to you that I learned binary. And moreover, you saved me. You are a Decepticon, but you are a good person. 'Agathos' in Ancient Greek means goodness, kindness. I think it suits you very well."

The Vehicon felt something throb in their chassis – a tingling sensation. Gratitude, maybe? They felt too dizzy to be sure.

::{Agathos... It sounds... nice...}::

No more shooting was heard. Had they been less weak, they would have heard footsteps coming closer and closer. Their visor kept flickering at a worrying rate.

::{Thank... you... li...ttle... one...}::

::{Rafael!}:: someone shouted.

Their visor shut down, and the world disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

**I can't do sad endings x)**

* * *

 _We wish we had more time._

 _We wish we had got another chance._

 _But in the end, nothing is left to us. For we do not deserve existence, and what does not exist must return to the nothingness._

 _Primus, Father of all, forgive your children for having created the monsters we are. Forgive us for being the weakest of your spawn. Our kin is the first to go, yet we do not join you when our frame becomes devoid of life._

 _Primus, Father of all, forgive us for being scared. We who are lacking a spark cannot become one with all. We who are walking without light have nowhere to go._

 _We appear, we walk, then we disappear._

 _Primus, Father of all but us, forgive us for clutching to this life we did not ask for._

 _Give us one more day._

 _Give us another chance._

 _Primus, Father of all but us, we beg you to give us more time, before we go back to nothing._

 _Primus, dear Creator, please lend an ear to the nobodies' plea._

O*O*O*O*O*O*O

Never before had Bumblebee seen Raf so distressed. The young boy was yelling for help, on the verge of tears, holding the much larger servo of a lifeless Vehicon.

"Save them! Please, they saved me, save them too, please!"

The Scout was taken aback by his friend's words. How could a Vehicon produce such a reaction from the human? He was snapped out of his thoughts when Optimus Prime kneeled then gently took the drone in his arms. The words he pronounced surprised everyone.

"Ratchet, open the groundbridge."

"Are you sure, Optimus?" Arcee asked. "It's an enemy. A mere drone! Bringing it to the base could be dangerous."

"But they protected me!" Raf exclaimed. "They got injured in the process, please, their visor went dark, I don't want them to die!"

The groundbridge appeared.

"Then it is a risk I am willing to take. Arcee, Bulkhead, start collecting the energon from the mine. Bumblebee, Rafael, come with me."

To say that the medic was less than thrilled was an understatement. Ratchet was _irate_ , grumbling that the world really turned upside down if he was now supposed to fix a fragging Decepticon. But then Rafael explained the whole story, and he felt a bit less furious and more annoyed than anything.

"Rafael, stop being in my way," the ambulance said, gently pushing the child aside.

"But…"

"The 'Con is going to be _fine_ , if this is what is concerning you. Now, the more space you will give me to work, the quicker it will heal."

So the young boy was now sitting at the edge of one of the catwalks, forehead pressed against the railing, watching the medic from afar. Seeing his friend being so worried for a mere Vehicon, Bumblebee wanted to feel jealous… but he just could not. How _dare he_ , to think so bad of a person who almost died in order to keep Rafael out of harm's way? Moreover, a little part of him could not help but feel grateful that the Vehicon had had the kindness and the patience to teach the binary to Rafael – thanks to a Decepticon, the yellow bot was able to communicate with someone who had become one of his closest friends. How ironic…

Finally Ratchet stepped out of the medibay, wiping his hands in a rag.

"I replaced its missing leg with a prosthesis. It's not the best I can do, with the few items available here, but at least it'll be able to walk. However, it –"

"Stop calling them by 'it', Ratchet," Raf raised his voice defensively, "they're alive and they've got a name!"

The white and orange mech narrowed his optics.

"I would really appreciate if you would not interrupt me, kid."

"You said they have a name?" Optimus asked, curious. Usually Vehicons did not have a designation…

"Actually it was me who gave it to them," Raf confessed, "and they seemed to like it, so… I called them Agathos."

"Agathos… It is a nice name."

Ratchet reset his vocaliser, getting the attention of the two.

" _As I was saying_ , 'they' will be able to walk. But they've lost a lot of energon, so they will need a deep recharge in order to get some forces. I think they will wake up tomorrow at least, not before. However, there are other issues about bringing a Decepticon here…"

Optimus nodded.

"I know that you do not like this decision, old friend, and I understand. Yes, they might be a threat, but right now, they are helpless. Moreover, because they were healed here, if it reaches Megatron's audios, it is highly probable that they will be considered as a traitor, and thus executed. For now the best we can do is waiting for them to wake up, and ask them what they intend to do next. If you fear that they might do something during the night, I will watch over them."

Ratchet didn't look convinced, but he sighed in defeat.

"Fine, Optimus. But tomorrow you will have to recharge or else I will chain you to your berth until you do so."

A little amused smile stretched the Prime's lips, and he agreed.

And so the night went by, with the leader of the Autobots sitting next to the medical berth where the Vehicon – Agathos – laid motionless. For precaution their blaster had been deactivated, but the rest of their frame had been left untouched.

Optimus thought it would be an uneventful night, but several hours later Agathos mumbled something in their sleep. The Prime hesitated, then began to listen.

It sounded like a prayer. But never had Optimus heard someone pray with such despair. The pessimistic and sad words made his spark clench. Was this "nobodies' plea" a common thing among all the Vehicons? How could anyone think so low of themselves? He had never thought the Vehicons considered themselves unable to join the AllSpark. He had never thought the drones were conscious of their condition of disposable, or that they were so… so… resigned. They lived from day to day – it seemed to be the only thing they truly had.

Agathos' frame began to shake lightly, as if they were remembering something painful in their recharge. Optimus saw it, but this time didn't hesitate: as gently as possible he took the Vehicon's right servo in his own, softly stroking it with the other one. Agathos stirred in their sleep but did not wake up – they slowly stopped trembling instead, until their frame became peacefully still.

Optimus did not let go of their servo until the sunrise.

O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O

When the Vehicon came back online, it was, however, another affair. Without doubt, any Decepticon would be panicking if the first thing they saw when they woke up was the enemy leader standing right next to them – and panicked the drone was.

Optimus slowly raised his hands, showing that he had no bad intentions.

"Do not be afraid, Agathos. No harm will come to you."

The Vehicon was not able to express emotions with their mask, but surprise could be heard in their voice:

"How… How do you know this designation?"

"Rafael asked us to call you by the name he gave you."

"The little one!" Agathos exclaimed, forgetting for one moment where _exactly_ they were. "Is he alright? Is he safe? Er – what am I doing here?" they asked hesitantly, remembering to whom they were speaking.

"Rafael is perfectly fine. In fact, it is thanks to him that you have been brought here to be healed."

They glanced at the prosthesis, where their leg used to be. Then looked back at Optimus.

"I should ask you why you did this, but if it happened thanks to the little one, I suppose he and I are quits."

There was a hint of sadness in their voice, and Optimus wondered why. Agathos respectfully bowed their head to him.

"Thank you, sir, for accepting his request, even if you did not have to."

"We could not let you die while you had saved a life. It is I who should thank you, for watching over our friend."

There was a moment of silence, then Agathos' vocaliser made a sound of static. Optimus realised they were sobbing.

"What's wrong?" he asked, worried.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just…" static masked all the words as Agathos hugged themselves. "Nobody has ever th-thanked me or one of my fellow Vehicons before. Any Decepticon would have left me r-rusting on the ground of the mine, because they – they only bring back to the Nemesis those who are still conscious. And – and you, you decided to do otherwise, you have acc-accepted the little one's request, even – even if I am unworthy and I – I just – I'm sorry I can't…"

Agathos continued to sob while they could not make sense of their words anymore, their whole frame shaking. They felt a comforting servo on their shoulder and did not reject it. Unconsciously they leaned into the touch, making Optimus' spark clench again. Poor thing…

In the main room of the base, everyone had heard the Vehicon's outburst, and they were silent, unsure of what to think. Then the sound of an engine came closer – Bumblebee had arrived, and when the kids, who had finished school, stepped out, they too heard the strange noises. Raf immediately headed toward the medibay, and he was relieved to see Agathos awake, but also worried to see them 'crying'.

Then the Vehicon noticed him.

::{Little one…}:: they beeped, their voice strained but, for the first time since they had woken up, with a hint of happiness.

"Hey Agathos," the boy said with a smile, climbing next to them then sitting on their servo.

There was a short but comfortable silence, one Optimus did not dare to disturb. Then Rafael asked:

"Are you going back to the Nemesis?"

Agathos tensed, their free servo clenching into a fist.

::{I-I-I am not sure I want to, but I am made to obey orders. I was brought online to serve Megatron, and nothing else. There is – there is nothing I can do about it, I have to follow my programming, I have to go back even if it means I will be off-offlined for helping you.}::

::{You could stay here.}::

Everyone turned their head towards the entrance of the medibay, where Bumblebee was standing. The young bot was looking at the Vehicon with gentle optics.

::{Optimus, can they stay here? They will be safe at the base.}::

::{Do not say such things, Scout!}:: Agathos exclaimed with a panicked voice. ::{I will be nothing but a burden.}::

"We will be the ones to decide about it," Optimus said calmly. "And everyone will have a say."

And so the Autobots were gathered in the main hall, discussing about the Vehicon's fate. Optimus and Bumblebee wanted to give Agathos a chance. Bulkhead felt conflicted, for he had always believed that all the 'Cons were bad folks, but Agathos' distress had shaken his convictions. As for Arcee and Ratchet, they clearly expressed their disagreement – they would never trust a 'Con to wander freely around the base.

"And you, Agathos? What is your opinion on the matter?" Rafael asked from a catwalk. His demand made the Autobots stop talking, and they all waited for the Vehicon's answer.

They looked silently at the human, then sighed.

::{Please, little one, do not give me false hopes. Neither here nor among my faction will I be welcome. I am not worthy of your trust… But if you really think I am, then I will not betray it. I will behave. I will follow every order you or your friends will give me. I won't go anywhere until I am allowed to. I will accept any treatment.}::

It hurt, to hear them talking about them like this. Even Ratchet and Arcee could not help but feel uncomfortable.

So the femme tool several steps forward to stand in front of them, fists on the hips.

"I don't trust you," she said firmly, "but Raf does. And I will never, ever treat you like the 'Cons would. Screw this up, and I will demolish you. But if you remain true to your words, then I guess we can give it a try."

"I agree with Arcee," Bulkhead said, and Ratchet nodded in approval.

Something in Agathos' chassis was singing – and their visor brightened.

"It is settled then," Optimus declared, and he gave them a warm smile. "Welcome among us, Agathos."

"Thank you," they whispered, still having a hard time to believe that all of this was true. They turned their head to face Rafael, their visor a few centimeters away from his body. ::{Thank you, little one.}::

The young boy smiled, then leant forward and fondly hugged their helm in response.

* * *

 **The Vehicons are a bunch of depressed bots, Optimus is a soft dad and Raf got a new buddy. Also Agathos is non-binary.**

 **Don't forget to drop a comment, it would be a real pleasure to know your opinion! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you all for the lovely comment! Here comes the story ;)**

* * *

The first day was a bit… unusual, to say the least.

Even though Agathos had been allowed to stay, they had been asked not to leave the base before a couple of days. Firstly because they needed to rest in order to heal, secondly because the Autobots prefered to keep them within sight before letting them wander freely around the base, and thus its location had not been told yet.

But Agathos did not seem to care. Instead, as soon as the team left the base either for patrol duty or for scouting some energon, they politely asked Ratchet what were their orders.

The medic was annoyed by having to bear the presence of a Decepticon, which was still a bit unsettling to be honest. But since he stayed at the base almost all the time it was only logical for him to watch the Vehicon.

He scoffed at Agathos' demand and told them to do a bit of cleaning, if they were so bored. But the Vehicon did not seem to be offended by his harsh tone, they simply saluted before getting to work. Ratchet stared at them with puzzled optics as they began to gather cleaning supplies. Seeing a war machine manipulating broom and mop was almost comical, making the white and orange mech feel a bit less tense, and he shrugged. Oh well, he supposed he could work on his projects while the Vehicon was busy. If they dared to do something stupid, he could still defend himself.

Several hours went by, and at some point Ratchet wondered why Agathos had not come to ask for another task. When he turned around, however, he was astonished by the sight in front of him.

He was not expecting that they would clean _the whole place_. Previous traces of dust and rust and moisture were gone. Every metallic surface had been waxed and polished — never before had the floors been so shiny. Then he noticed a datapad on the table next to the computer — when had it been put here? Courtesy of the Vehicon apparently, who had counted what was left of Energon and listed every defective lighting and every leaking pipe.

"Are you serious?" the medic muttered aloud, mouth agape.

"Is something wrong, sir?" Agathos called from another room, and their head appeared at a corner. "This corridor is the last to be cleaned, I recommend not to go there the floor is very slippery. Also where can I find some new bulbs for the lighting? Er… why are you making that face?"

"Oh for the love of — you refurbish the whole base and you expect me not to be surprised?"

Agathos scratched their helm and voiced their confusion:

"In all due respect, sir, how could it be… 'surprising'? Aboard the Nemesis this kind of task is only a part of my duties."

"Wait, just how many duties do you have?"

Agathos hummed, thinking.

"During normal days after cleaning I guard the ship for some hours, then I monitor the bridge, then I fetch the energon from the mines, then I inspect the engines and repair them if they need to. If the vessel is damaged groups take turns to fix it. Of course this is the usual routine — sometimes we are sent on missions on Earth and these vary a lot, depending on Megatron's orders."

"So Vehicons don't have free time at all?"

Ratchet expected the Decepticon to answer by the affirmative — it would only add another proof of Megatron's cruelty — so he was a bit surprised when Agathos replied with an offended voice:

"Of course we do! We are not slaves."

"And neither are you here," the medic huffed. "You are still injured. So take a break, you've already done a good job."

Agathos tilted their helm to the side, and Ratchet could feel them staring — but without any faceplates it was hard to guess what that look was supposed to mean. Questioning? Confused? Or just blank?

And then he remembered. No one had ever thanked Vehicons before. Did that mean that they did not receive any appreciation either?

But after all, Vehicons were the only ones of their race who did not have a spark — that was why most people disregarded them, and some even considered that they were not living beings.

Just worthless machines; cannon fodder.

Monsters.

On that point Ratchet disagreed: the true monsters were Shockwave and Megatron, who had crafted this army of sparkless obedient puppets. But if one of them had got a conscience, could they still be despised?

For this question Ratchet had no immediate answer. But the Vehicon was given a chance — and only the future could tell if their actions would prove that they were a sentient being or not.

Agathos' neutral voice snapped him out of his thoughts:

"Then I will take a break if you want me to, sir."

"Alright, enough is enough," he said, a bit irritated. "It's not about what I want but what _you_ want. Among Autobots we listen to everyone's needs and wishes. Besides, it's not like we have tight strict schedules — we stop working when we feel the need to. Moreover, do I have to remind you that you are _missing a leg and supposed to rest?_ "

Agathos stiffened at the medic's sharp tone, stopping a whimper of fear to escape from their vocalizer.

"Forgive me if I bother you with my attitude, sir," they said hastily, panicked. "Even though it has only been a day, I am still struggling to adjust to this new life."

"Yeah, me too," Ratchet grumbled with a roll of his optics.

Agathos stood awkwardly, wringing their hands. Oh dear, they just succeeded at getting on the doctor's nerves, which was never a good thing — aboard the Nemesis Knock Out would make you deeply regret the day of your activation if you pissed him off.

"Do you like to read?"

The question took them off guard and made them sputter as they raised their helm. There were no books aboard the Nemesis — the Cybertronians were at war after all, and stories were not essentials products in such a conflict. Besides, who would give reading material to sparkless drones?

But on the other hand… They did like to read. Some years ago, during a scouting mission on an abandoned ship, they had found a datapad, dusty and cracked but still functioning — it was a collection of short stories. And they had loved each and everyone of them — the name of the author did not ring any bells, but he was a skilled one for sure, at least enough to make Agathos forget about the world around them, engrossed in the stories, the words soothing their mind every time it was agitated.

If Ratchet had asked such a question, it was no doubt that he wanted to give them something to read — and Agathos realised they were eager to discover more worlds that allowed to dream.

So they nodded, and the medic handed them two datapads.

"Here. We don't have a lot of books, but you have those if you want to."

"Thank you sir!" they happily squeaked, then coughed, realising how embarrassing the sound was.

Ratchet arched an eyebrow at their strange reaction, but did not add anything. At least this activity seemed pleasant to the Vehicon — and not even two seconds later they were sitting in a corner of the room, their clawed servos delicately scrolling through the datapad, and even though they had no face Ratchet could feel them beaming.

That was… unexpected. A comfortable silence settled in the base as Ratchet went back to his work. If someone would have told him a few days ago that he could stay in the same room along a Decepticon without feeling the urge to slice them to pieces, he would have scoffed. Now, however? It seemed he could tolerate their presence, _tolerate_ being the key word. But having someone so quiet — a trait that seemed rare nowadays — in this place was more than welcome for the old medic.

And so several hours went by, with a peacefulness that could almost make forget that there was no war outside, no faction splitting an entire race, but just two people who could enjoy their day without despising each other.

But all things must come to an end, and both stopped in what they were doing when they heard the sound of engines — the Team Prime was back.

Three vehicles came in and transformed, their human friends chatting about their day as they stepped out, and the red truck shortly arrived after them. Bumblebee was the first to spot Agathos, still sitting on the floor, who waved shyly. The young Scout beeped a greeting in return, but was interrupted when Miko raced toward the Vehicon, bouncing on her feet and asking them so many questions they became immediately lost.

Fortunately Raf put them out of their misery, asking them how they were feeling. And as Agathos was telling him that they were fine, they realised it was the first time they _actually_ felt fine, they were not on edge anymore like it was usually the case among his fellow Decepticons.

And… it felt so good! Agathos did not know if they wanted to sing, do a happy dance or hug the little one — huh, wait, no, they might scare Raf off with such abruptness. But still, the center of their chassis was pleasantly warm.

Miko snapped them of their thoughts when she asked what they were holding.

"It's a book!" Agathos happily exclaimed. "Mister Ratchet lent it to me, it was very nice of him."

"'Ratchet' and 'nice': two words that don't get along at all in the same sentence," Miko scoffed. "But c'mon, reading? It's so bo-ring," she lamented, dragging out the last syllable.

"No it's not!" Agathos said with defensiveness, holding the datapad against their chassis as if to protect it. "It's a wonderful activity."

"Try to read _Pride and Prejudice_ and then we'll see if it's still 'wonderful'", Miko retorted, using air quotes with the last word.

" _Pride and Prejudice_?" Agathos asked, tilting their head to the side.

"It's a human book Miko has to read for the second next week, she will have a test about it." Raf explained, then added with a giggle, "she won't stop complaining about how awful it is."

"Because it's more than awful!" Miko exclaimed, fist on the hips.

Agathos shyly reset their vocaliser.

"Maybe… huh… I could give it a look?"

"Yeah, sure!" Miko said, too happy to get rid of this oh so great burden.

She handed them the said book, which was comically tiny in their servo, as if they were holding a robot-sized postage stamp. They nonetheless began to delicately flip the pages, taking immediately interest in the story — and also trying not to loudly cackle at the sarcasm used by the author. Primus, that was so funny! How could the little human not like it? The children and Bumblebee, seeing they were enjoying themselves, left them alone, not without a soft smile dancing on their lips. Ratchet and Optimus were looking at the scene from afar, and while the medic did not really have any interest with what the Vehicon was doing, as long as they did not bother him, the Prime had a small but perceptible fond expression.

To an external point of view, Agathos looked like a little sparkling, doing with excitement their favourite activity. Ratchet had told him that they behaved themselves during the absence of the others, and the Prime was glad to see that some entente was possible between the Autobots and an ex-Decepticon.

He picked up a cube of energon and approached them.

"I see you are enjoying yourself," he said softly.

But Agathos jerked at the sound of his voice, and stood up, keeping the book in their fist as they saluted him stiffly.

"Good evening, sir. I apologise for my laziness, I will go back to work immediately."

"What laziness?" Optimus asked, saddened by the sudden formality of the robot, who lost all of their former brightness. "Ratchet told me you have already done a good job. The base looks better thanks to you."

Agathos froze, once again caught off-guard, and Optimus Prime noticed it.

"You have to know, Agathos, that things work differently here. You don't have to work all the time. You don't have to think that you are worthless. You are an individual just like us, with its own limits and its own assets. I don't know what you had to do aboard the Nemesis, but having a good time like when you were reading is not forbidden. Alright?"

"…Alright," Agathos said hesitantly.

The Prime suppressed a sigh, then handed them the cube of energon.

"Here," he said gently. "You need to refuel in order to heal."

Agathos simply nodded and slowly gulped the liquid, taking care of not wasting any drop. They were a bit tense with the Prime standing next to them, but if they were to live with their former enemies, they had to get used to their presence, be it the nice Scout or the mighty leader. Said leader was looking at them with gentle optics, which was pretty weird, but if, as he had said, he really cared about their well-being, then that look was nothing but the expression of his own words.

Oh well, they would have to get used to this too.

And if they had to be honest… the fact that they were the centre of such attention, even though they did not think they deserved it, felt surprisingly good.

They could not smile, so they extended their EM field, just barely enough to shyly brush against the Prime's own field, and, hoping they were not crossing any line, poured all their gratitude into it.

Optimus felt it, and offered Agathos a kind smile, hoping to make them feel at ease. After all, this place was their new home, and he wanted nothing more than to make them know that they were welcome here.

He saw Agathos' frame becoming less tense, and decided to leave them alone, so they could go back to their reading.

Because there was nothing better than being immersed in a world of words.

* * *

 **Hope you liked it ^^**

 **Have a nice day!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I deeply thank you for all your sweet comments. Now, on with the story! :D**

* * *

A week passed.

Slowly, but surely, Agathos got used to their new life. They were still not allowed to go out, but for now all they wanted was spending as much time as they could with the little one and his friends. Every time Raf came to the base, they would happily greet him, and both of them would chat for several minutes. It was adorable to listen to the little one, who animatedly chirped about his day at school, about video games and car races, his new favourite movie, small meaningful details of an everyday life — a foreign conception for the Vehicon, which intrigued them.

Sometimes Bumblebee joined them, talking about the outside world. Agathos would listen in awe as the Scout described the wonders of Earth, along with Raf's knowledge. The yellow bot and the young boy were more than glad to show to a (former) Decepticon that this planet was more than a dull mudball, but instead a place full of treasures. Bumblebee was touched to see Agathos sharing his enthusiasm about this world. He promised them that, as soon as they could leave the base, he would take them to all his favourites areas — and seeing the Vehicon so ecstatic about it made his spark sing.

Agathos appreciated Bumblebee. It was strange to have someone making such earnest efforts to spend time with them, and they often wondered why.

Maybe… maybe someday, they would try to ask. For now they just wanted to enjoy his company.

The same thing could not be said with the motorcycle and the former Wrecker. Arcee was very cold with them, and sometimes acted as if they were not here. But they did not mind. Being one of the ruthless and ferocious Autobot warriors, the blue bot was extremely feared among the Vehicons, and Agathos knew they had to be wary when she was around… At least she had not try to kill them.

As for Bulkhead, the big bot did not really know how to act with the Vehicon. From time to time, he would give them a small wave from afar, or an awkward smile — which was more than enough for Agathos, who would gently return the gesture.

They were more comfortable with the other humans, Jack and Miko, who would often talk to them. The Japanese girl was excited to speak with a big bad bot, while the black-haired teen was rather intrigued by a Deception able to display kindness.

As for Agent Fowler… the fuss he made when he discovered the presence of Agathos scared the poor Vehicon enough to make them cower in a corner, much to everyone's surprise. Under several glares Fowler quickly apologised, but also demanded to the Prime to warn him before converting the base into a "kindergarten for Decepticons." Agathos could not help but giggle once they learnt that a kindergarten was a place where human sparklings were watched over. They did not know they looked _that_ young, which was flattering to be honest.

No one dared to correct them when they voiced their thoughts.

When they were alone, Agathos spent most of their time reading, surrounded by high piles of bound sheets, a fort of paper and leather. Such unusual architecture came alive thanks to the children: when they noticed Agathos' passion for literature, they decided to provide them as much books as they could.

The librarian of Jasper was rather surprised (and glad) to see three teenagers carrying high piles of books, coming back every day to give back those borrowed the previous days to choose new ones. Agathos was extremely touched by the humans' attention, thanking the three of them deeply as they discovered that they really enjoyed Earth literature. They could spend hours sitting in a corner, tiny books delicately handled by careful claws. Every now and then, when they did not catch the meaning of a word or a sentence, they would ask the children for clarification, discovering new idioms and more information about humanity, and their odd but funny way of thinking.

Ratchet had forbidden Agathos to overwork themselves, so they could not do much else to occupy themselves. A few times the medic allowed them to fix the defective vents or pipelines, under his strict supervision, but Agathos was more than glad to give a hand to the people who had welcomed them into their home. As for Ratchet, he could not say he _enjoyed_ the company of the Vehicon, but their quietness and their politeness were something he appreciated, and, when it was only the two of them at the base, he sometimes forgot that the Cybertronian settled between three walls was a former enemy.

Since they had more free time, Agathos let their mind wander every so often, and more than once they reflected upon the fate of their fellow comrades. The Vehicon held no illusion; they knew the others soldiers had forgotten about them. That was how things worked within the troops: people noticed someone was gone, quickly mourned their loss, then moved on. Thinking about the dead was a dangerous activity, because soon they wondered when their turn would come.

Praying to Primus was a cold comfort, but it was still one.

Besides, it was not easy to remember a nameless person. Vehicons were nobodies — and nobodies vanished from one's mind in no time.

Agathos knew they were not missed, knew they should not dwell on it — but it still hurt.

At least there were people here that seemed to care about them.

O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O

Agathos also kept thinking about _Pride and Prejudice_ — they had finished the book within two days — and about the fact that the human Miko had issues about working on it. At last, after several days, they gathered enough courage to shyly ask Raf if they could help Miko with it. The young boy made no effort to hide his huge smile, then dragged the reluctant girl until she was in front of the Vehicon. For a moment Agathos shifted uncomfortably on his feet, under the human's questioning gaze, then finally asked why she had trouble reading _Pride and Prejudice._

"'Cos I just don't wanna?" she said, shrugging. "Whenever I try to read I lose my concentration within seconds and I just wanna do something else, the story annoys me to no end."

"Well, um, on the contrary I-I find it very interesting? Of course that, that's just my opinion, but, uh, I can try to show you why I think so by reading it aloud?"

"Sure, go ahead big bot," she said as she sat on a chair, ready to let her thoughts wander as soon as she would lose interest.

Agathos awkwardly reset their vocaliser, then opened the book.

Words came alive, and nothing disturbed the smooth reading.

For a while it was as if Agathos and Miko had forgotten about the world around them — and when the robot checked their chronometer, they were astonished to discover that half an hour had passed. Then they faced Miko, who was staring at them with her mouth agape.

There was a moment of silence, and Agathos began to internally panic. Oh Primus, did they do something wrong?

"Dude," she managed to articulate, and they were confused to hear _awe_ in her voice, "you have a freaking _talent_ for storytelling."

"Er," they scratched their nape, at a loss for words, "thanks?"

"Continue, please!" she exclaimed, taking them aback. "I wanna know what happens next! Is Elizabeth gonna be alright?"

That was… well they did _not_ expect this. But they obliged her, and another hour went by. And when Agathos paused again, they were surprised by the sight of the three human, along with Bumblebee, intently listening to them. Their optics were shining, as if they were beholding something wonderful, and when Agathos realised it was thanks to them that their audience was having a good time, they felt something they had never felt in a long time.

They felt proud. Proud and happy.

But then they shifted and their prosthetics creaked, breaking the spell, and their back slightly hunched.

How long would this peace last?

How long indeed…

O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O

Another battle.

Once more Death walked by his side while he struggled to survive.

Shooting and dodging, running and sinking his blade through living metal, those were movements Optimus did countless times before, and was still doing.

War was ruthless and heartless, something he learned a long time ago.

Still, such knowledge did not make it less painful.

As he could see life vanishing within his foe's visor, he believed for a very, very short time that it was Agathos he was slaying.

He froze for a fleeting moment, pandemonium raging around him. Then he remembered that Agathos was safe at the base.

What was wrong with him? He had no problem killing Vehicons before.

Of course, taking someone's else life always tormented him, but at least it had been less difficult with Vehicons — they were mere drones, basic machines without any awareness.

Or so he thought until recently.

Was Agathos the only one with a personality, the only sentient being among Vehicons? Maybe, maybe not, but doubt still plagued his mind as he made his way through the battlefield.

And then, at last, it was over.

They started collecting the energon they had found along with the Decepticons, and sometimes his optics glanced at the corpses on the floor.

What would Agathos think, if they stumbled upon such scene?

One thing was sure, it would not be pleasant.

He tried to push the thought aside as he and his team took the groundbridge, but it went back in full force when he spotted Agathos sitting next to Rafael, the little boy explaining with excitation the new program he was studying and the Vehicon intently listening, curiosity pulsing in their EM field.

He waited for them to finish, then he approached the mech, asking them, as they saluted him, if they had a moment to talk.

"Of course, sir."

"Then follow me."

While he led them to a more private room, he noticed that Agathos was wringing their hands, their posture stiffened.

"Have I done something wrong, sir?" they shyly asked once the both of them were alone.

"No, of course not, do not worry. I just wanted to inform you that, soon, you will be allowed to go outside."

A mixed field of glee and anxiety filled the air.

"I shan't send you to the battlefield yet, because of your injury. You will mostly accompany us to look for energon, or to patrol. But you have to know that maybe, you will face your former comrades at one moment or another. Thus I need to know: are you comfortable about fighting Decepticons, and more importantly Vehicons? I will never forgive myself if something happens to you, because I didn't take your opinion, your feelings, into account."

Optimus went silent, his bright blue optics softening, his frame relaxed, as he let his words dissipating into the air. He wanted to give Agathos space and time to answer. The smaller robot had lowered their head and was now hugging themselves, seemingly lost in thoughts, reflecting upon the Prime's speech.

For a minute neither of them spoke. Then Agathos sighed.

"Do I only have a choice?" they mumbled, as if they were speaking to themselves.

They looked up, scarlet visor meeting cerulean optics.

"It is unlikely that my faction is aware of my treason. But, as soon as they will see me by your side, I will be nothing but a target. And it is entirely normal. We are at war, sir. And during war there is one only universal law: surviving. It is kill or be killed. Them, or me. Of course it deeply wounds me to point my gun at people I maybe knew before. But them, they won't hesitate to shoot me down. They probably do not even remember me. For them I am just a mere Vehicon who betrayed Megatron. So yes, I will fight, because war do not give me — or any of us — any choice."

Even if Optimus was pained to hear such thing, he knew that Agathos was simply enunciating the truth. However, one thing was bothering him.

"You speak as if you have no identity among your own kind."

Agathos rested their cheek on their servo, as if their head was suddenly too heavy.

"No, I mean, yes, I have — we all have, but… not entirely. Each and every one of my fellow Vehicons had a different personality — I remember well, one was goofy and always ready to give an hand, another was shy and spent their time daydreaming, another again was energetic and a music-lover… Our bodies are all identical, but our mind are diverse. The problem is, we cannot show it clearly to the world — after all, we are sparkless, we are not whole. We all are the same nameless, easy-to-forget soldiers, made to follow orders — but our spirit is the only thing that is ours."

The last sentence resonated within the Prime's head. He was so busy repeating it again and again that he did not immediately noticed that Agathos had shifted, and was now bowing.

"However, sir, I am deeply grateful that you cared about my opinion."

Was it just Optimus, or was their body slightly shaking?

"It is something entirely normal among us, Agathos. I hope that someday, you will get used to it."

He put a hand on their shoulder, as careful and slow as he could, so Agathos could back away if they wanted to. He gently rubbed the metal, a gesture that he hoped would comfort the smaller one.

"For now, I wish you can enjoy your liberty as a person."

Everything was ground to an halt when the last word reached Agathos' mind.

 _A person._

Was it really how Optimus Prime saw them? Even after all they just said? Suddenly something resurfaced within their mind, words said a week ago by the same person standing in front of them.

" _You are an individual just like us."_

Had the Prime been serious? Back then Agathos had not really paid attention, but now the meaning of the hit them with full force, and they almost faltered.

Why? Just… why?

Why did he think of them in such a way?

Why did it take a weight away from their shoulders?

Why did it feel so… nice?

Why why why?

They would have been lost in their inner turmoil if the Prime was not looking at them. These soft, soothing optics were like an anchor for them, preventing them from drifting, and they clutched it with all their strength.

All of this was so unfamiliar… yet they realised they cherished it.

"Thank you," Agathos murmured, trying to keep a steady voice

It was a pity they could not physically express their emotions; but they nonetheless hoped that the Prime would catch, by their tone, what they truly felt.

Apparently he did, because Optimus gave them a bright smile.

A serene silence settled, and neither of them was willing to break it.

Then Agathos remembered something.

"Er, sir? I do not want to sound rude but… how are you and your team going to be able to differentiate me from the other Vehicons?"

The Prime's optics slightly widened. Oh. He had not thought about that.

"Then we will talk with Ratchet about that matter."

Agathos rose their hand, like a child would do when they had been struck by an unexpected thought.

"I think I have a suggestion? If that is alright?"

They began their explanation, and as soon as they were finished, Optimus nodded, confirming that indeed it was a good idea, and both headed toward the medibay.

It would not be a major difference, but still. Agathos hoped that blue would suit them.

* * *

 **If you want to know what Agy changed, go to my tumblr cao-the-dreamer and look for the tag agathos :)**

 **I hope you liked it! See you!**


End file.
